Ingram was born in
Houston, Texas. He started writing songs and performing while studying
psychology at
Southern Methodist University in
Dallas, where he was member of
Alpha Tau Omega.
Musical career Jack Ingram began his music career singing at a privately owned bar near the TCU campus of Fort Worth, Texas, which was owned by his friend
John Clay Wolfe. Later, during the early 1990s, Jack toured the state of Texas opening for
Mark Chesnutt and other acts. His first release was his self-titled album in 1995 via the Rhythmic label, followed by 1995's
Lonesome Questions.
Warner Bros. Records eventually signed him and released a live album entitled ''Live at Adair's'', and re-issued his first two indie albums.
2005–2011: Big Machine Records In 2005, Ingram signed to the independent record label
Big Machine Records. Under the Big Machine banner, Ingram released a predominantly live album entitled
Live: Wherever You Are. His first single release on that record label, "
Wherever You Are", became Ingram's first top 40, and later his first and only Number One single on the U.S.
Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, as well as the first Number One for the Big Machine label. "
Love You", the only other studio track on
Live: Wherever You Are, was also released as a single, peaking at No. 12 on the charts. This song was also recorded by
Trent Summar & the New Row Mob (whose frontman, Trent Summar, co-wrote it) on their 2005 album
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. In late 2006, Ingram released a cover of
Hinder's song "
Lips of an Angel". Ingram's cover peaked at No. 16 on the country charts "Lips of an Angel" was the lead-off single to
This Is It, his second album for Big Machine. This album also produced the No. 18 "
Measure of a Man" (a
Radney Foster co-write) and the No. 24 "
Maybe She'll Get Lonely". In 2008, Ingram appeared at the Argyle Education Foundation Black Diamond Affair. He won the
Academy of Country Music award for top new male vocalist on May 19, 2008. Ingram also filled in for radio host
Bob Kingsley on the countdown show "
Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40" for the week of September 20–21, 2008. According to
CMT, Ingram's
Big Dreams & High Hopes album has "more guts" and
Ellis Paul's "The World Ain't Slowing Down" may be the song that takes Ingram to the "next level". Ingram says "It'll be fun for me to expose people to a fantastic song from an artist who's had a 20-year career of being a very successful folk artist." The song was cut from the album. Its lead-off single "
That's a Man" charted in the Top 20, followed by "
Barefoot and Crazy," which became his second Top 10 hit. The album's next three singles all failed to enter the Top 40: "Seeing Stars" (a duet with
Patty Griffin), "Free" and a re-recording of "Barbie Doll" with guest vocals from
Dierks Bentley. On August 26, 2009, Ingram set a
Guinness record for the most radio interviews in one day, when he was interviewed 215 times. in Denver at
Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 28, 2012. Ingram and Big Machine amicably parted ways in late 2011. As a sideline, Ingram does
voice imaging for a number of country stations, including KRYS-FM Corpus Christi;
WSIX-FM Nashville;
WMIL-FM Milwaukee;
KWJJ-FM Portland, Ore.; and
KSCS Dallas.
Fundraising In 2013, Jack teamed up with actor
Matthew McConaughey and University of Texas at Austin football coach
Mack Brown to create a fundraiser for their favorite children's charities. Dubbed Mack, Jack & McConaughey, the affair was held April 11–12 at Austin's ACL Live at the
Moody Theater and featured a gala, golf tournament, fashion show and two nights of music. Mack, Jack & McConaughey returned in 2014. ==Discography==